Emergency services in Sussex joined forces in the early hours of this morning after reports came in about a person seen in the water.

The ‘person’ was reportedly seen in the water west of West Pier in Brighton at just after midnight.

Emergency crews at the scene

A number of emergency crews were alerted to the incident, and included Sussex Police, RNLI Brighton and Shoreham RNLI.

A spokesman for RNLI Brighton said: “Search carried out along with Shoreham RNLI, Shoreham Coastguard, Sussex Police, Newhaven Coastguard and Maritime and Coastguard Agency, after investigation shoreside it was understood to be a danger marker for the pier.”

A spokesman for Shoreham RNLI said: “Our all weather lifeboat joined RNLI Brighton in a search for a report of a person seen in the water west of the West Pier in Brighton in the early hours in heavy rain. It turned out to be a marker buoy.”